The Future of Disability in Arts & Film

Hear from local experts in the disability arts community on what disability will look like in modern media in the future in this free evening event.

This event is presented in partnership with the Halifax Stanfield International Airport.

There will be ASL interpretation provided at this event.

If you require accommodations for any event (nothing special about that), please reach out to 902-209-4304 or baff@reachability.org.

PANELISTS:

Jake Ivany - Facilitator

Jake Ivany is a youth facilitator and filmmaker based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He started as a youth facilitator almost 10 years ago, teaching young people from across the country how to make their voice heard through filmmaking. This lead to further opportunities for facilitating at international youth conferences. After completing a Screen Arts diploma at NSCC, Jake worked in a number of different roles on film productions and has produced his own work with other local creatives. This work led him to reachAbility where he runs the First-Time Filmmakers program for youth and the Bluenose-Ability Film Festival.

Vanessa Furlong

Vanessa has 15 years experience coaching all ages in theatre, clown, beginner&intermediate acrobatics, act creation, and stage presence. With a degree in Theatre and Music performance, and 15 years professional performance and instructor positions, Vanessa brings a great deal of insight into theatrical and circus related stage arts. Vanessa works with students of all abilities and has a keen understanding of social outreach based workshops and adaptable acrobatics alongside Erin Ball in their company LEGacy Circus

Koumbie

Koumbie is an actor and filmmaker with recurring roles on Mr. D, Studio Black, Sex & Violence and Addison. Behind the camera, Koumbie is an award winning writer, director and producer and works with BAFF and reachAbility on filmmaking programming.

Brad Jones

Brad Jones is a Two-Spirit Anishinaabe artist from Garden River First Nation. They are a peer support worker at Laing House, practicing artist, student at NSCAD, and drag performer known as Jennifer Dafuque. Their work seeks to navigate the intersections of queer indigenous identity, challenging colonial notions of gender and sexuality, and navigating toxic hegemonic structures withing both queer and indigenous communities.

Alex Kronstein

Alex Kronstein is an autistic filmmaker, podcaster and freelance writer. He is currently working on a major documentary film exposing the truth about behavioural intervention for autism.

Spencer MacKay

Spencer MacKay is an emerging young comedian (who's performed at "Just for Laughs" in Montreal), is a disability advocate (having grown up on the "IWK Telethon"), and is an award-winning filmmaker. His films have debuted at "JFL42" in Toronto, have been a part of the "2018 Easterseals Disability Film Festival" in California with Nic Novicki, and has received several industry accolades for his latest film Same Nightmare, which he has begun work on, to expand into a full television show.